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Remove Excess Thatch to Cut Down on Chinch Bugs

One of the most prominent indications of the presence of chinch bugs is the appearance of large patches of dead, brown grass. These patches will of course appear unsightly amid a well-maintained lawn, and may even have to be specially treated or removed by lawn care specialists.

An adult chinch bugis about one-sixth of an inch long and had a greyish-black body which is covered in fine hairs. On top of their bodies are a set of white wings, joined on each side of the body by sets of reddish legs. Young chinch bug nymphs can be as small as a pinhead, and are commonly brick-red in color.

Chinch bug removal experts suggest that these pests mainly feed on a variety of grasses, including red fescues, perennial ryegrass, bentgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass. Chinch bugs are most common during high summer, and are attracted to turf grass that is exposed to full sunlight. Damage caused by chinch bugs can be best noticed during the period between early July and late August, when these insects feed most ravenously.

Adults and nymphs alike can cause fairly serious damage to grass, as they feed on the plant matter, remove important plant fluids, and inject a certain natural toxin that causes the grass to turn from yellow to brown, and eventually die.

If you believe that your lawn is being infested by chinch bugs, it’s a good idea to call your local pest control professional as soon as possible in order to avoid mounting damage and even more excessive lawn care costs. Your chinch bug removal expert will be able to determine exactly which species of chinch bug is responsible for the damage to your yard, be they the western variety, the hairy variety, or the southern variety.

The removal of excessive thatch is another important step when it comes to chinch bug removal. Adequate maintenance of moisture on lawns and plants will also help reduce feeding damage and promote the growth of beneficial fungi that will help protect your plants from these insects.

The use of low nitrogen fertilizer will also slow the reproduction of chinch bugs. As ever it’s vital consult your pest control professional before attempting to engage in do-it-yourself pest control practices, especially when dealing with insecticides and other poisons that could be hazardous to pets and members of the household.

Cantu Pest Control is proud to be the first company in Texas to offer a Green Shield Certified Service. Our Dallas chinch bug removal experts are excited to offer Green Shield Certified pest services to our customers in search of a more prevention-based solution to their pest removal and on-going pest management needs while minimizing the use of pesticides.

If chinch bugs have made unwanted appearances around your home, call Cantu Pest Control at 972-885-3618(Dallas and Fort Worth areas) or 713-999-3495(Houston area) and schedule an appointment today with one of our friendly, experienced chinch bug removal experts.

July and August Are the Most Active Months for Chinch Bugs

Published on August 6, 2017

Chinch bugs, like crickets and aphids, can cause massive damage to your lawn in large numbers. Due to their tiny size, they may be able to go unnoticed for a long period of time, and the telltale brown patches they produce when feeding on grass can easily be disguised during periods of drought.

These pests are especially dangerous in agricultural areas, and have the ability to decimate crops and lead to severe economic ramifications, both in terms or removing the pests and replacing the crops that were ruined.

Like many other types of insects, chinch bugs are most active during the summer months, and begin to mate and multiply during late spring. During the winter, adult chinch bugs will seek out some kind of shelter, especially long grass or the spaces beneath rocks or logs.

These adult chinch bugs can lay up to about three hundred eggs in a month, and the eggs usually hatch in a week or two. These eggs will usually be deposited in grass stems and other similar places, meaning that maintaining your lawn is one possible step to prevent an infestation in the first place.

When the eggs finally hatch, the nymphs are easily recognizable by their bright red coloration and their unmistakable odor which can be detected in close proximity, especially if they are crushed.

Chinch bugs feed on many different types of grasses, and especially love areas that enjoy exposure to direct sunlight for long period of time. If your lawn does happen to be abnormally infested with these pests, you’ll likely notice damage to your grass during July and August, when they are actively feeding.

Much like aphids, chinch bugs feed by removing the fluids from plants and injecting a toxin that turn the grass brown, eventually causing it to die. A large enough infestation over a long enough period of time will certainly become noticeable as larger and larger portions of your lawn begin to whither and die.

Despite the economic threat that these pests pose, there are a number of preventative measures that have historically proven to be fairly effective. One such measure is to maintain your lawn as much as possible, ensuring that it does not get overlong and out of control. This also includes clearing away any overgrown thatch and tall grasses on your property that you may otherwise ignore.

Cantu Pest Control is proud to be the first company in Texas to offer a Green Shield Certified Service. Our Dallas chinch bug control experts are excited to offer Green Shield Certified pest services to our customers in search of a more prevention-based solution to their pest removal and on-going pest management needs while minimizing the use of pesticides.

If chinch bugs have made unwanted appearances around your home, call Cantu Pest Control at 972-885-3618(Dallas and Fort Worth areas) or 713-999-3495(Houston area) and schedule an appointment today with one of our friendly, experienced chinch bug removal experts.